top of page

Digitally
Transform your Operations

smaRTE

STOCK
Clear Stock.png

Accurate, high-speed stock counting, tracking, and tracing to improve stock replenishment, while reducing unnecessary manual counting, shrinkage, and high safety stock levels costs.

READ MORE

Flex Logo Icon Black Small.png

OT CYBERSECURITY 
TECHNOLOGY

WHAT IS OT CYBERSECURITY

Operational Technology (OT) CyberSecurity is a rapidly developing segment of cybersecurity technology. The traditional "Air Gap", usually employed in Information Technology (IT) CyberSecurity solutions, is difficult to maintain in an ever-increasing connected world, where OT and IT networks are converging. IT CyberSecurity solutions are not designed to secure OT networks and assets. 

​

WHY IS OT CYBERSECURITY NEEDED

Every business is at risk of a cyber attack and the prevalence of these attacks is
increasing every day. Most companies have IT CyberSecurity policies and systems in place believing that they are protected. Very few consider the vulnerabilities that are present in their OT environment.

​

WHERE IS OT CYBERSECURITY RELEVANT

OT CyberSecurity is particularly relevant in asset-intensive industries, such as retail, manufacturing, warehousing & logistics, healthcare, mining, smart buildings/cities, and infrastructure. Nowadays, most operational assets are highly intelligent and connected. If this equipment were to be exposed to a cyber attack, the entire operations could come to a halt, resulting in huge financial impacts, danger to human life, as well as damage to company credibility.

​

WHEN TO CONSIDER OT CYBERSECURITY

Specialised OT CyberSecurity technology focuses on identifying and, in some cases, preventing cyber attacks on operational assets. If you are an asset-intensive business, you are most likely highly exposed and at substantial risk of cyber threats. Investigating your vulnerabilities and addressing them through an OT CyberSecurity solution should be high on your agenda.

smaRTE Solutions using OT CyberSecurity:

smaRTE Splice

Reduce your OT-IT cyber vulnerabilities, whilst improving your security posture, for your production & operational assets.

​

Examples of operational applications for OT CyberSecurity technology:

​

  1. Preventing cyber attacks on transport infrastructure in smart cities - Ensure hackers cannot take control of a city's traffic lights, bus stations, and communication networks connecting transport hubs.

  2. Halting access to the national power grid via Independent Power Providers - This will prevent unauthorised access and control of the national power infrastructure when independent renewable energy providers start supplying power into the grid.

  3. Securing all smart building equipment - This will substantially reduce the risk of hackers accessing a company's critical data via building equipment, such as generators, air-conditioning, lighting control systems, access control & surveillance systems, or taking control of the fire prevention system, and demanding a ransom.

  4. Preventing hackers from taking control of production equipment in a factory - This will stop an unauthorised take-over of the production equipment to prevent the factory from coming to a halt and losing millions in revenue as a result. 

  5. Stopping unauthorised access to critical life support equipment in a hospital - No hacker should be allowed to access critical healthcare equipment and take control of it. This would be catastrophic to human safety and life.

Splice Icon.png
  • What is RFID technology used for?
    Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) is a multi-purpose technology. It is the most cost-effective way to electronically identify, count and track items that your organisation values. RFID is used in many different industries to save time, increase productivity and decrease costs. It has been quite widely adopted in industries like retail, manufacturing and assembly, warehousing and logistics, automotive, mining, construction, and healthcare.
  • Where is RFID used in daily life?
    Stock Management in Retail RFID labels can be found on the items purchased from many market-leading retail stores. The Foschini Group in south Africa use RFID to perform high-speed inventory counts (up to 300 items per second). RFID helped them to increase their inventory accuracy to 99%. Many retailers use RFID to optimise their inventory management, as well as to track and trace their inventory as it moves through their supply chain. Watch these videos below from our global partner to find out more: Access Control in Buildings and Facilities RFID technology is incorporated in most modern access control cards. These RFID-enabled cards provide unique identification of people when entering or exiting sites and buildings. Financial Transactions using Debit & Credit Cards Debit and credit cards use a version of RFID technology called Near-Field Communication (NFC). This technology makes it quick and easy to authorise transactions by tapping the card on a mobile payment device instead of inserting the card and entering the PIN. Identifying and Tracking Staff, Patients, Equipment, and Consumables Many modern hospitals use RFID to track nurses, patients, equipment, supplies and medication. RFID technology helps hospitals to transform the way they manage the hospital and care for patients. Identifying and Tracking parts in Vehicles Automotive part suppliers and manufacturers use RFID to track parts, work in progress (WIP), and tools as they move through the value chain. RFID technology helps the automotive industry to reduce costs, save time and work smarter. Improving the Management and Security of Keys in Car Dealerships Many car dealerships and car service businesses use specialised key cabinets or key rooms to control the access to keys. These keys have RFID fobs attached to them to provide unique identification of each key. See our smaRTE Keys solution for more information, or watch the video below:
  • What does passive vs. active RFID mean?
    Passive RFID Passive RFID tags have no batteries. This means that the RFID reader temporarily energises the RFID tag through the electromagnetic field that it emanates, just enough for the tag to transmit its globally unique “Electronic Product Code” (EPC) that identifies the tag and the item that it is attached to. Active RFID Active RFID tags have built-in batteries and an internal transmitter in the form of a beacon or transponder. This means that an active RFID tag can transmit signals to an RFID reader over longer ranges – sometimes up to 150 metres. Active RFID tags can be used for real-time tracking and tracing as items move.
  • Is RFID anti-theft?
    An RFID anti-theft system can be used to detect tagged items that pass through an entrance, verify if those items have been purchased and trigger an acoustic and/or visual alarm if any item has not been purchased. As an optional extra, RFID loss prevention hardware can be connected to a cloud software application. The products that trigger an alarm can then be shown on a smartphone, managed by store or security staff to alert and register events such as false alarms, thwarted theft, and theft. For more information, watch this video from one of our global RFID partners:
  • What are the benefits of RFID?
    Below are some examples of the operational benefits of employing RFID into your environment: High-speed, accurate inventory counts (up to 300 items per second, 99% accuracy). Can detect and find “hidden” objects. Quick variance resolution. Lower Inventory Levels. Free up valuable working capital. Improve sales & customer service. Optimised stock turn. Lower shrinkage. Count inventory as often as required. Intelligent asset management. More in-depth, real-time management information. Increased Return-on-operating-Assets (RooA) and profitability as a result.
bottom of page